Conventional computerized devices, such as personal computers, laptop computers, and data communications devices (e.g., routers, switches, gateways and the like) exchange data over networks using a variety of communications mechanisms. In order to ensure privacy during these exchanges, and to prevent any malicious attacks, it is necessary to have a secured connection. There are many methods available for ensuring a secured connection. Often, the secured connection is created using an authentication process that occurs during operation of a Point to Point Protocol (PPP) to authenticate the devices involved in a data communications session. The authentication process can be performed by Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) servers, using a Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) or Password Authentication Protocol (PAP). The Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) can provide additional authentication methods to be used during the authentication process within PPP.
EAP carries authentication information from a device attempting to connect to the network, to an authentication system that validates and authorizes the connection. EAP creates a secure tunnel through a gateway with which to perform this mutual authentication process, protecting weaker methods of authentication. During an EAP exchange, there thus exists an authentication server and the device being authenticated. The authentication server sends a request to the device for authentication information. The device sends a response to the authentication server in reply to each request from the authentication server. The authentication server ends the authentication exchange with a Success or Failure packet indicating if the device has been authenticated for access to the network.